Dish Review: "The Regal Regis" at Parish Cafe

With my time in Boston winding down, I really need to make an effort to try as many new (for me) places as possible.  So with that in mind, I met a college buddy at Parish Cafe on Boylston Street for dinner on Saturday night (I know - i need to be more diligent with posting, and also with taking pictures of the food). The best way to describe Parish Cafe is cool, in the way that the Fonz was cool on Happy Days.  It just has that kind of vibe, which is complimented by the menu concept (and outdoor summer time seating).[FN1]  In addition to the regular menu, Parish has a rotating menu consisting of sandwiches, salads, apps, etc..., each one designed by a different big-name chef from the area.  Like I said, pretty cool!

I went with the Regal Regis, designed by Susan Regis, the chef at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge.  Here is the menu's description:

• Sliced flank steak and portobello mushrooms in a soy, scallion and balsamic marinade. Served on Romano cheese crusted French bread with a side of homemade potato salad or coleslaw.

It was delicious, and they certainly do not skimp on the ingredients.  A generous portion of steak, cooked perfectly, and covered in that asian-style marinade, which is sweet and tangy all at once.  The mushrooms are grilled and piled onto the steak, with a few stragglers finding their way onto the plate for later consumption.  The interesting thing I found with this sandwich was that every bite wasn't the same, and that's primarily because the baked in Romano cheese is notably absent sometimes, and then reappears in full force.  When I tasted the cheese, it was wonderful.  But when I didn't, I never felt like the sandwich was incomplete because the other flavors were so strong and complimentary of each other. Finally, the potato salad was spot on.  Overall, a great summertime meal!

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FN1: Parish also has a GREAT beer selection, and because my college buddy drinks heavily is in biz school in California, he introduced me to some excellent CA craft beers.  The beer list also includes Butternuts Porkslap Pale Ale - I wasn't too into this beer, but was easily amused by the can: